Tango of Denial
by HandfulOfHope
Summary: Neither of them had ever thought that being undercover would imply this, that dancing together could ever be this hard... They play a dangerous game to catch this killer, risking their life, their sanity and the ability to say ‘we’re just partners'. B
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** though I do own bones, my own206 bones to be exact, butI do _not_ own the serie Bones in any way, they belong to the lovely Kathy Reichs and all those lucky bastards...

**_Tango of denial_**

**Chapter One  
A date?**

"Booth! I'm not going, stop asking!" Brennan exclaimed, looking up from the corps she had been examining and give her partner, who was leaning against a cupboard filled with expensive material, an agitated glare

"Oh, come on, Bones, you need a night out" Booth said and Brennan let out an angry grunt. Why did this man find it so difficult to except that she had declined his offer? What part of the word 'no' didn't he understand? "The body isn't going anywhere" he added sarcastically

"Why can't you just take your new _girlfriend_? What's her name... Linda?" Brennan asked. She had met the girl Booth had been dating a couple of times now and though the girl had been nice, Brennan couldn't help but feel suspicion about the pretty blonde that her partner went home to at night, though she had just shaken it off by telling herself that she was just looking out for her partner and friend

"Lydia" Booth sneered, He had noticed the hostility Bones had for his girlfriend, and worse, Lydia had noticed it too and he had to witness several crying sessions of the woman, being very vulnerable and weepy, the direct opposite of his partner. He still wondered whether he loved or hated that about Lydia. He had to confess that the only reason he had asked Lydia out in the first place was because of she was the exact opposite. Well, that and to prove his colleagues that he _didn't_ have the hots for his partner. Lydia was sweet, caring and expected all the romantic little things while they were together, while Bones was stubborn, kickass and would mock him for trying to be the possessive, overprotective Alfa male. He could debate and fight and shout with Bones, to then just burst out into laughter because they both forgot what they were fighting about, while Lydia wouldburst out into tears and scream hysterically that he wanted to break up whenever he would raise his voice

"_Because..._" he began annoyed, rather because Bones had brought Lydia up in the argument than because she had pronounced her name wrong "...It's for FBI-agents only" he said

"Maybe you forgot this during your daydreams about '_Lydia'_" Brennan began, making a face at the name "but I'm not an agent either"

Booth inhaled deep as he decided against a heated debate with the extraordinary woman in front of him over the possibility that he had daydreams about a woman, knowing that it would probably end up by him confessing that Bones was the _only_ woman he dreamed about, day _and_ night, much to his own annoyance

"Well, Cullen said I could, since we work together." Booth grinned and decided to let out the part that he begged his boss to let Brennan come, telling him that she was his partner and she _did_ go undercover like a real agent and he wouldn't come unless his partner was by his side

"Then I'm sure you don't mind if the rest of the squints go in stead of me" Brennan began as she stared back at the examination table and missed how Booth's face fell "I've still got a lot to do and they'd only be in my way, and I'm sure they'd have a great time"

"Oh, come on Bones, what do you want me to do? Get down to my knees and beg?" He asked, relentless to get his partner out of the lab

She dismissed the idea, though she couldn't keep a smile from forming on her face and blush slightly as she visualized him kneeling down for her and ask her "Well... I'd appreciate the offer, but..."

Before she could say anything more, Booth knelled down on his one knee and took her hand in his so tenderly that the soft caress with his thumb made goose bumps leave their mark over her arms

"Would you..." he began, his voice a low, an indelible hunger growling through his words "Temperance Brennan... give me the pleasure to accompany you to this event that, to me, will be awfully lonely without you?" he asked, not a hint of a joke noticeable in his voice, and those brown eyes, filled with desire and meaning, staring at her as if she were the most astonishing and attractive woman on earth

"I uhm.." she said, trying to concentrate on what he had just said,instead of gettingutterly lost in those chocolate brown orbs "I would love to" she said before she could even think about it

They heard a shriek come from the door and the both looked up immediately. Angela stood there, a face with both shock as joy on it

Bones pulled her hand out of his grasp and walked over to her overenthusiastic friend "Hi Ange" she said and then saw the happy grin on the woman's face "It's not what you think" Brennan said immediately, knowing that Ange was probably thinking of the most unlikely scenarios between her and Booth

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea" Angela said, a know-full smirk plastered on her face

"Oh, really, then why don't you inform us" Booth said, one of his eyebrows raised

"Well... you dumped Linda-" she began

"Lydia" he said, not knowing where the automatic response came from to correct these women over a name, rather than to his relationship with the woman

"Whatever" Angela said, raising her hands in a way that said she didn't care "... now, you told Brennan this, you told each other you're madly in love with one another and have to keep yourselves from jumping each other. You..." she said, pointing at Booth "..Asked her to marry you, she said yes and now you're going home and you're gonna have hot sex and will never, ever want to leave your bed" she said with a grin

Booth burst out into laughter and Brennan raised her eyebrows amused "First of all..." Booth began, after catching a breath "I didn't ask her to marry her, because Bones doesn't believe in marriage" he said, and surprised himself when he said the last part "Second of all" he added quickly "we didn't tell each other that we're madly in love with each other..."

"Because we aren't" Brennan added a little bit too quickly

"Yes, because we aren't" he repeated "and we aren't going home to have amazing, hot sex" he said, though he had to admit to himself that he didn't really hate the idea as much as he should

"Right, and besides, Booth didn't dump Linda" Brennan said, not knowing what else to say

"Lydia" Booth corrected again, much to his own annoyance

"So, then tell me, why was he kneeling down? You sure he wasn't about to pop the question?" Angela asked, smirking at the face Booth made

"I don't know what that means" Brennan said, frowning

"It means that I asked you to marry me" he whispered in her ear, walking up behind her

She shivered and closed her eyes as she realized how close he was standing behind her, she felt how he placed his hands on her hips and she wondered what the hell he was doing. She walked away from him and his magical, strong hands and cursed herself as she felt how her cheeks got flustered. "Worse..." she began as she thought back of Angela's question "He asked me out"

"A date?" Angela asked with big eyes and she shrieked again

"_Not_ a date" Booth scowled, "More like a business meeting" he grumbled

"Yes, and besides, you're coming too" Brennan said quickly

A smirk came over the woman's face as if she had a plan and she started dragging Brennan out of the room "Ange, what are you doing?" Brennan asked, gazing over at Booth helplessly

"We're going shopping. And no buts!" Angela said as she saw Bones open her mouth "What kind of clothing should we be wearing?" she asked Booth, ignoring Brennan's annoyed expression

"We're obliged to dance" he said

"Booth, you didn't tell me I had to dance!" Brennan began and Angela started pulling her harder "I'm not dancing" she warned her partner

"Everyone's dancing, sweetie" Angela said, giving her arm another pull

"I'm not a good dancer" she said quickly

"Then I won't look like a total idiot after all" Booth joked and finally got Brennan out of the room with much protest

* * *

"Tell me why I am doing this again?" Brennan asked annoyed as she stared at the guy next to her, driving the car

"Because..." Booth began, flashing her one of his charming smiles "I asked you to"

"I think the word you need you use is _Beg_, Booth... you begged me to" Brennan said with a cocky grin, making him scowl at her, though she could see by the sparkle in his eyes that he didn't really mind the fact that she made such a comment

Booth glanced over at Bones yet again, she was wearing a longjacket that came to her knees, just a bit lower than her dress, so he couldn't see anything of her dress. He could still hear Angela's voice saying _'You aren't gonna be able to keep your eyes off her... or your hands for that matter'_ and he had to admit, he was curious of what was lying underneath that layer of brown material

"So Bones..." he began, tightening his grip around his steering wheel "Whatcha wearing?" he asked and tried to sound casual

"A dress" she said, pissed off about the fact that Angela had made her go shopping all day for it "The _perfect_ dress, if you believe Angela"

"Aw, you didn't have to do all that for little old me" Booth said, smiling at her

"Why would you think I would do that for you?" Brennan asked, confused

"Well, you'll be dancing with me, so I assumed..."

"Who said anything about dancing with _you_, Booth?" Brennan asked and Booth wondered whether she was just annoying him or being serious

"Well... I just assumed that-"

"That I wouldn't be able to get anyone else to dance with me? Is that it? That I would be sexy or, or beautiful enough?" Brennan asked heatedly

"No! No of course I didn't mean that... I just thought that..." 

"Well you thought wrong! I don't need you..."

"Hey, I never said you needed me!" Booth cut in

"But you insinuated it!" she shot back

"Yes... I mean no.. I mean..." _God, since when was it so hard to talk to this woman?_ "I just thought that you'd prefer to dance with me... since we're partners" he restrained

"Just shut up and drive" Brennan said, "I don't need any help" she mumbled softly, looking out the window asBooth stared at her, knowing perfectly well what she did and did not need

"_Fine_" he said sharply

"Fine" she repeated

"Great!" he said in a faked enthusiasm

"Better than great" she said in the same sarcastic tone. '_God, she _always _wants to have the last word_' he thought to himself and a little voice in the back of his head told him that that was yet another reason that he liked her so much

* * *

Booth downed yet another drink and gave his partner a look that could kill. Or, to be more specific, the back of the guy's head she was flirting with. Ever since they had arrived she had been flirting furiously with every guy who looked handsome enough, just to make it clear to him that she _didn't_ need him. She did it to annoy him, anger him even.  
It wasn't the fact that she was turning on his colleagues that made him into this jealous kind of man, but rather the fact that she'd flirt with someone else than _him_...  
He knew itwas absurd. He knew he shouldn't be thinking like this. But he hated it so much to see how she flirted with anyone but him, _and _in a not as subtle way as she did with him.

The way her bare leg brushed against his underneath the table, the way her hand played with one of her locks at the height of her breasts, the way she looked at the man seductively... suggestively even. Booth had always assumed that her flirting techniques would be at the basics, limited to the things that Angela had taught her, that she would stumble over her words and use scientific babble or even offend him and his manhood in some way.

He had been wrong. So terribly wrong.

Temperance Brennan was deadly. She was everything you need to make a man go mad, for the better _or_ the worse. And he knew that this man she was talking to wasn't too far away from the edge to insanity. And neither was he.

Though, she made one tiny mistake, whenever the man she was with would be a little bit distracted and look away, she would gaze over at Booth and smile a bit brighter as she saw what effect all this had on him. And that reminded him why she was doing this. She didn't like this guy at all. She wouldn't go home with him tonight, wouldn't have a quick _fuck_ with him in the closet. She probably didn't even like the guy in question, she probably hated that she had to lower herself to make him think that she was just some dim-witted woman he could easy get, or else she wouldn't look at Booth all the time, right?She did this for _him_, and only _him_. To show him _she_ was right.  
She was always right

He saw how she played with an ice cube from her drink and pressed her lips against it, sucking it slowly. Another one of her tricks. _A good one _he thought to himself as he felt how rage build up inside of him, though he couldn't bring himself to dislike _her_, but rather to hate and envy the man who had the pleasure to experience a flirt with this magnificent woman. He saw how her other hand played with the dark blue strap of her dress. Oh yes, the dress. Angela had been right, he had seen how stunning she looked in the dress, and – much to his disliking – so had the other men he had to call his colleagues. It was a navy-blue dress – with a rather low décolleté if he might add – that ended just above her knees. There was a chocolate brown sash wrapped around her waist tightly, showing off her well formed body and underneath the brown decoration the pleats ran down and he could just imagine how the blue fabric would fly up if he twirled her round, revealing her gorgeous legs..

He froze as he heard her laughter. Though the room was crowded and he had thought that she'd be too far for his hearing, he could hear her voice clearly, hear the faked enthusiasm that only he could distinguish from her real laugh. He looked at her. He saw her stare over the guy's shoulder – though he was sure the man didn't notice – right at him. Her eyes penetrating him. Shining with pleasure, lust and... something else. She noticed that Booth was staring at her, he just knew it. And then, as if she knew it would outbalance him completely, she winked at him slowly.

_That's it!_ He thought to himself. He got up and walked over to the two in a fast pace, not even caring that people were watching his every – infuriated – move.

"Dance with me" He said firmly when he finally reached them, and without waiting for an answer he pulled her up her feet and made his way over to the dance floor, guiding her with his hand on the small of her back

"Booth, I was having a really interesting conversation" Brennan said in protest, though she followed him and didn't even look back at the guy Booth had pulled her away from

"I. Don't. Care" He said and, though he knew she was trying her best to look mad at him, he didn't miss the triumphant smile appear on her lips

They stopped in the middle of the dance floor. And, as Booth took Brennan's hand in his and held it tight to make sure she didn't run, they heard how a tango was introduced. He moved his partner over the music, tried to guide her on it, and he realized that the music was filled with anger, passion and domestication. Just like he was.

He led her further, and as the music advanced to a wild rhythm with fire and passion, so did enhance their dancing from a dance that only showed their love/hate relation through the fire in their eyes to a dance of lovers, fire and aggression in every movement they made. She walked a few steps away from him to taunt him, but he got he hand and twirled her back to him, making her skirt fly up as he had imagined, until she was pressed against him. He pushed his arm around her back, their eyes fighting as they stared into each other's and they were so inflicted with one another that they didn't even notice that everyone else had stopped dancing to watch them

"I thought you said you couldn't dance?" Booth stated with a roar before releasing her and letting her make an eight and then a twirl before pulling her back into his tight embrace violently

"I could ask you the same thing" she said. Her voice was rough, and as that rumble, barely above a whisper, filled his ears, he realized how close they actually were. He could feel her breath against his skin, and their noses brushed against one another from time to time as they took another step and her legs brushed against his as they were slimly placed next to his. And her lips, oh her beautiful red lips, were only inches away from his. If he would lower his head, only just a little, then he could catch them with his own

She backed away from him again, he got her wrist, twirling her round and then he made her lean against his arms as he bent forward, their noses touching as she had to rely on him completely or she would fall on the ground. "One of my former girlfriends tried to teach me the basics of Argentine tango..." He got them back up and they danced further, again as close as before "What's your excuse?" he asked growling

"two of my foster parents were dance instructors. They learned me a trick or two.." she said, and as if to prove her point she did a spin with her right leg high, until it rested against Booth's side and he took it, putting his arm underneath her knee. She seemed to understand what he was about to do and she lay her left arm around his neck, which made their foreheads rest on one another, he heaved her over the floor, her foot being dragged over the floor then pulled her up into a lift before dancing further

"You're pretty good at this... why did you stop?" Brennan asked, sounding intrigued

"I couldn't stand the fact that my partners kept stepping on my feet" he said with a smirk

"Oh?" she said and looked at him devilishly before stepping on his foot hard, making him winch  
"Oops, sorry" she said innocently

_Two can play that game_ he thought. He halted Brennan's movement with his foot, twirled her round, swept her off the ground with one swift movement and made her sit with her right side of her body on his left upper leg, the right half of her back resting against his chest, before placing her back on her feet. He smirked at the startled expression on her face, but she recovered quickly, pushing herself in his tight embrace again

"That was mean" he heard her say in a low whisper near his ear, making shivers run down his spine

He grinned at her and twirled her around one more time and then held her tightly again, bending her over, shoving his one leg backwards to keep his own balance and then the lights faded and the music ended

When the lights went on again he realized that everyone was looking at them and he quickly pulled his partner, who looked just as shocked and embarrassed as him, back on her feet. He went with his hand through his hair to cover up his discomfort until suddenly Hodgins yelled from across the room "Alright! G-man!"

Everyone started clapping and cheering for them, patting him on the shoulder and telling him that that was great and he was rather satisfied with all the comments, though he felt quite a lot like a parrot, continuously telling all his colleagues they were 'just partners', though he couldn't help but gaze at his partner and smile as she was currently constricted in one of Angela's deadly hugs and looked over her friend's shoulder, right at him

* * *

Cullen sighed as he watched how one of his best agents and his partner was getting strangled in one of the squints tight hugs. He should have never agreed on letting him bring them, he could've know that they would catch this woman's eye. Of course he had thought that they didn't know anything about ballroom dancing, or at least not the anthropologist. Oh, he had been so wrong, so deadly wrong...

"Are you certain about this?" He asked the woman, standing next to him, her glass of wine firmly in her hand as she watched the two of them steal glances from one another

"Getting cold feet, Cullen?" she asked, her French accent clearly noticeable

"No... no of course not" he said sighing "but, are you certain you want those two? They're quite..." he looked down at them and tried to find to find the right word to describe them "...difficult"

"Cullen, you told me I could have whoever I wanted, I want them" the aged woman said and then raised her eyes "Don't you remember what you said?"

"I know what I said..." Culled mumbled "but I didn't know she was coming then"

"She is not an agent... is she?" she asked with a knowing smirk

"Dr. Brennan? No" he said in an air that left no room for doubt

"Ah oui, the girl from the novelles mystère, je suiscorrect?" she asked

"Yes" Cullen said sighing

The woman got up "Make sure she's at my office this samedi" she said

"She could decline my offer, you know, and I can't exactly threaten her that I'll fire her" Cullen said

"Je suis sûre that you'll find something to convince her..." she said with a smirk before leaving

_This is gonna be one hell of a ride_ Cullen told himself as he stared at the partners who were now happily conversing as if their passionate dance and argument had never happened _One long ride..._


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:**Just so you know, my mother language is French nor English and I know that there are some grammar and vocabulary mistakes in my stories, and I'm glad you point them out to me, but please, don't hate my story for it. Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with sugar on top?  
**AN2:** Alright, so there ain't any dancing in this chap, but there will be more, promise  
**Disclaimer:**I don't own Bones (damnit!)

* * *

**Chapter two  
Overprotective**

"Booth, I don't need your help to find Cullen's office, you know" Bones said as she made her way over to Cullen's secretary and felt how Booth tried to guide her by placing a hand on the small of her back

"I know, I was just scared that maybe you forgot" he said, not wanting to tell her he just liked putting his hand on that spot

"I have an excellent memory" she said, pouting. She sat down on one of the chairs when the receptionist told them that Cullen was still in a meeting and would be accepting them soon. Booth slipped onto the chair next to her, leaning over towards Brennan

"Yeah, well, we haven't been here that often..." he began, and then saw how she glared at him "... okay, maybe we have. But, it could be that you just didn't care to notice what direction we took all those previous times" he said, trying to make it sound rational, though both knew it wasn't

"Booth, I notice _everything_" Bones said annoyed, not wanting to point at him that it would be illogical to be oblivious of where to go if you'd already walked the same way over 30 times

"Everything huh?" he asked grinning, one of his eyebrows raised. She scowled at him, trying hard not to respond on the flirts he had been throwing at her all morning

The secretary cleared her throat and the two of them looked at her  
"mister Cullen can accept you now" she said as professional as possible, though her eyebrows were cocked up amused by the interaction between the two

Brennan smiled at the woman politely before standing up and walking over to the door, not even bothering to look if her partner was following her, and she knocked on the door of Cullen's office

A muffled "come in" was heard and Bones opened the door and stared at the man sitting in front of her. He looked exhausted, no, worse, he looked as if he hadn't closed his eyes for days now, dark bags underneath his eyes, his clothes ruffled and his beard unshaven. She heard him sigh loudly as he saw who entered and she tried her best not to be offended or act on it. This was Booth's boss, she had to keep that in mind, this was Booth's boss and he could fire him with one disapproving look

She sat down trying to figure out why Cullen would want to see her and then be so irritated by her presence "You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked, her tone professional, cold even

She rolled her eyes as Booth flopped down on the chair next to hers and threw his arm over the back of her chair "He wanted to see us, Bones, _us_" Booth indicated "Right boss?" he asked, looking at his boss with a broad smirk on his face

Cullen only grumbled something to himself before taking out a file from one of his drawers and throwing it in front of them "Have you ever heard of the 'Dance master'?" Cullen asked

"Yes" Booth said at the same time as Brennan said "No" and they glared at each other annoyed

"How can you _not_ know who the 'Dance master' is?" Booth asked "It's been all over the news"

"I don't have a television" Bones defended

"okay, that's it, we're going shopping for a TV _this_ afternoon"

"Why should I need a TV? I don't have the time to watch it" Brennan said

"That's because you don't _have_ one. When you do, you'll _make_ time, you'll see" Booth said knowingly

"And if I don't?" Bones asked heatedly, he didn't know her _that_ well

"Then I'll _make_ you" Booth said hotly, leaning closer towards Bones making their noses almost touched

Cullen suddenly cleared his throat, reminding them where they were "Can we stick to the case, people?" he asked the two startled partners

"Oh yeah… uhm, well, he abducts dance couples from this secret dance society, really hard to get in, only the best can enter and it's really well, secret… and this guy makes them dance 'til they drop... literally" Booth said, his eyes jumping from Cullen to Bones, trying to cover up his embracement

"And if they don't want to dance?" Brennan asked, flipping through the file, trying to keep the blush off of her cheeks

"There's a bomb which goes off when there isn't any motion on the dance floor for over two minutes… this is a major priority of ours..." Cullen said, never taking his eyes off of the doctor

Bones nodded. She understood all that, what she didn't understand was what _she_ was doing there… no, scratch that, what _they_ were doing there, or why Cullen was telling her all this

"Two of our agents went undercover as a dance couple a few months ago to catch this guy…, they eventually got in the 'underground', which is the name of this group" he sighed, resting his elbows on his desk "We found them a few days ago.. killed, just like the other victims"

"So… why did you want to see us?" Booth asked. Bones looked at him and could see by the tense look on his face that he already knew the answer

"Yesterday evening…" Cullen began "…wasn't just a ball…" he grunted tiredly "one of the greatest dance instructors of this time was there, and she choose the next couple to go undercover, who she would educate how to dance, and… she picked you" he said, closing his eyes, knowing what would come next

"No.." Booth said, shaking his head and throwing the file he was holding on the desk "No way. I'm not risking Bones' life over this, we ain't doing it" he said, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands in front of him

"I can speak for myself, Booth" Bones scoffed, as she read the file more carefully

"She isn't even an agent" Booth said, ignoring Brennan's comment

"I'm aware of that, Booth, and that's part of the reason why I'm giving her a choice. That and because I can't bully her by giving her a pile of paperwork if she declines my offer." Cullen explained

"I'm not letting her do this, you'll have to find an other couple…" giving him an other partner wasn't even an option

"Booth, I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions" Brennan exclaimed annoyed

"I know, but you tend to make the wrong ones" he mumbled

Bones decided to ignore his remark and read the file further

"The other couple… they were married" Bones said sadly, her eyes darting from the happy family photos to the photos with remains and carbonized bones "I thought that partners weren't allowed to have relationships" she said, her gaze leaving the papers and resting on Booth

"You couldn't really stop them, and besides, they'd been able to deny their love for a long time, though everyone saw it…" Cullen said and the two looked at him. He chuckled softly "It's actually a bit like you…" and then he realized what he was about to say "You…" he said, turning his attention on Brennan completely "You and… Sully" he said, trying to cover up his mistake

Booth raised his eyebrows and looked at his partner. Even _she_ must've noticed that Cullen had wanted to say something else. She just nodded slightly. _Okay… maybe she hadn't…_  
She met his gaze and looked down immediately and he could how her cheeks started to fluster. He couldn't help but smirk. _Oh, yes she had…_

"But, why weren't they separated?" He heard her ask, which was the same question that had been haunting his mind too. If _they_ were aloud to stay _and_ work together, than he and his partner should have the same rights!  
Wait… what?

"Well, that was part of the deal.. if they could keep their professionalism around one another there, they could keep working together" Cullen said and then looked at them "The same agreement stands here" Cullen added

"yeah, well, too bad Booth already has a girlfriend then" Bones said, glaring at him

_Too bad?_ "What, were you considering it then?" he asked

"It?" She asked, clearly confused

"You know, me and you… together" he said

"No! No of course not" she said. He didn't think he'd ever seen Temperance Brennan blush as furiously as she was now "I'm just saying…" she began, but he could clearly see that she had no idea _what_ she was saying

He decided to help her out a little, he couldn't stand the fact that Cullen was smirking because of his partner's stuttering, though he was doing the exact same thing "Well, it won't matter anyway, 'cause I'm not doing it" he said, putting up his stern face again. _If he didn't go, she didn't go, simple as that_

Cullen thought quickly. What should he do? Should he threaten to fire him? No, he was one of his best agents, he'd see right through that… Maybe threaten to put him on deskwork, so he would never see the squints – or the doctor to be more exact – again… nah, he'd just go to her after office hours… Maybe-

"That's alright Booth, I'm sure Cullen can find me a replacement" Bones said, and both men stared at her  
_That could work_ Cullen thought

"_What_?" Booth asked. Did she really think she could get away with that so easily

"Of course" Cullen said and Booth felt how his jaw dropped on the floor "I think I'll put agent Johnson on it"

"Agent _Johnson_!" Booth screamed "He jumps everything with legs and boobs!" he exclaimed. Hell would freeze before he'd willingly hand his partner over to this guy… or any other guy for that fact

"Yeah, well, he's available _and_ he can dance. And I'm sure doctor Brennan won't mind that he'd be around" Cullen said, and before Bones could even answer him he took his phone "Hi, Denise, could you be so kind to pass me agent Johnson" he said

"Wait! I'll do it, okay… just, put down the phone" Booth pleaded

Cullen did as he was asked and then handed them a paper with an address on it "She's expecting you in 15 minutes.. I'd hurry if I were you" he said smirking

* * *

Booth tightened his grip around his steering wheel as he felt his partner's eyes on him yet again. It was driving him nuts! She kept staring at him, but every time he'd try to catch her gaze, she'd avert it. And the silence! Why wasn't she talking, rambling or arguing like she always did? Noooo… she just _had_ to be quiet and watch him.

"_What!?_" he asked irately

"Nothing" she said, a triumphant grin plastered on her lips

"Oh, that ain't nothing, sweetheart" shocking both his partner as himself with the nickname "Now spill" he said, trying to make it sound like the nick was no big deal

"Well, for starters, _darling_" she said mockingly "you should really stop trying to protect me all the time"

His knuckles became white as he grasped his steering wheel even more tightly "I have no idea what you're talking about" he managed to get out through gritted teeth

"Well, in the beginning it was still kind of obscure, trying to keep me away from criminals and all that, but now? You're even trying to keep me away from your colleagues" she pointed out

"I do not" Booth said

"Booth, the other night this elderly woman came to me and told me I had a very protective and jealous _boyfriend_!" Bones said, trying to sound offended

"Did you tell her we're just partners?" Booth asked amused

"Yes! That's the worst part of it! I told her that and she just said 'of course' and winked at me as if she knew something" Bones said and Booth burst out into laughter as he imagined a ninety-year-old woman discussing sex-topics with his Bones

"It's not funny!" Bones said, patting him on the arm  
"But, what I'm intending to say is that you're way too overprotective"

"That's because you keep getting into trouble"

"No I don't" Brennan said stubbornly

"Oh, then refresh my memory, who had a sick minded _serial killer_ on her heels? Who was arrested for _murder_ back in New Orleans? Who was trapped in a car _under the ground_? Who had a _bomb_ in her fridge? Who had a _hit_ on her head?" he asked, he could come up with at least ten more of such things

"I'm still here, aren't I?" she asked and then frowned, clearly bothered by something

"What?" Booth asked, seeing how she was obviously thinking hard

"I never _had_ a hit on my head" she said, eyeing him suspiciously

"No, of course you haven't" he said, trying to laugh and make it sound like the last one was a joke. _She doesn't know about that little stunt of yours, idiot! _his mind screamed

"Booth, what aren't you telling me?" _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

"Nothing, nothing!" he said in a high-pitched voice. Damn, since when was it so hard to lie to this woman? "But that's probably what _would_ happen if you went undercover" he said

"I _can_ take care of myself_, _Booth" Bones defended "And besides, I wouldn't be alone, one of your male colleagues would be right there" 'did she _have_ to bring that up all the time?' He thought frustrated

"_Not_ one of my colleagues. _I_ would be right there. You're _my -_ and with my I mean only _my - _partner, _Not_ anyone else's" he said. No way in hell that any of those guys would get close to _his_ Bones. Not after almost losing her after handing her over to agent Kenton, who had tried to kill her to frame a serial killer. Or after almost losing her to the damn Caribbean's after handing her over to Sully!

"See! You're trying to keep me away from your colleagues!" she exclaimed "I don't need your protection against your colleagues" she said obstinately

"Who said anything about protecting _you_" Booth asked jokingly "I'm protecting my colleagues _from_ you" he said smugly and then felt how Bones hit him on the arm hard "Ouch! That hurts!" Booth exclaimed

"Well, it wasn't funny!" Brennan said, folding her arms in front of her  
Booth suppressed a chuckle as he looked at her. Though she was the smartest and most brilliant person he knew, and probably would ever meet, she acted really childish from time to time. The worst part of that? She doesn't even notice!

Her bottom lip was stuck out slightly and she was staring at her feet while her shoulders were shrugged up slightly. He shook his head as he thought about the fact that Parker had been sitting there in the same way just days before after his father had told him that they were _not_ going to Disneyworld for the weekend and that begging wouldn't help

"Look Bones, I'm sorry, okay.. but, why do you want to go undercover so badly? It's dangerous" Booth said. Why couldn't she see that? If something would happened to her, he'd never forgive himself, but she just kept getting herself in trouble

"No one asked you to come" Bones said, her arms still folded in front of her defensively

"What?" Booth asked

"I'm just saying that you don't _have_ to go undercover with me if you don't want to…" Bones indicated. If he didn't want to come, that was okay by her. He had things to lose, he had a son, and a girlfriend. If something would happen to him… well, that would be terrible. He had a family, people who loved and cared about him. While if something would happen to her.. that would be sad, not dramatic. No one would miss her terribly, loved her so much that their heart ached… Of course she forgot the man sitting next to her

"Bones, what are you talking about? I-" Booth began, but she cut him off

"it's very obvious you didn't want to, not that I can blame you…" Bones said. Booth looked at her, what was she saying? "I mean, you have to take care of your son and.. and Linda-"

"Lydia" he corrected automatically

"Right, Lydia… well, I don't think your girlfriend will like it if you tell her we're doing this…"

Booth sighed. Why the hell was she bringing this up? What was he supposed to say to this? That they didn't care? That he wouldn't miss his son? It was true that he would have to miss Parker a lot. And of course Lydia would protest to this, she _already_ thought that he and Bones were more than partners… much more  
He knew that she thought that because he couldn't define his relationship with his partner, and to be honest, he didn't want to. He didn't want to label them. Didn't want to point out how close they were to the invisible line he had drawn between their professional and personal life, or maybe, just maybe, they already crossed that line, somewhere in this wicked relationship filled with flirts, quarrels, kisses and man-hugs which weren't _man_-hugs at all. Maybe he should just tell her the truth '_Bones, I care about you, I care about you much more than I should, much more than partners and friends do_'  
He parked the car as they arrived where they were supposed to be and he turned his attention on the woman sitting next to him completely "Look Bones… it's not that I don't want to go undercover…" he sighed, how was he going to say this without getting her scared and make those walls reappear around her heart. Those walls he had so patiently broken down one by one

"..Just not with me" Bones said bitterly

"What? No…" he began, but she was out of the car before he could explain. He stumbled out of the car and jelled "Bones!" to the woman who quickly made her way into the building. "God damnit!" He sighed and got back in the car to kill the engine. He then emerged to the building himself, wondering where the hell this went wrong  
"Booth, you're an idiot" he mumbled to himself as he looked around the immense hallway, wondering where his partner had gone


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Aight! So I know it's been a while (and that's an understatement, I know) but, as I already explained in my other story, I was a bit busy... But, to this story I actually have an addition to all the phenomenally bad excuses which is; I **really**, but seriously, **really** don't like this chapter. At all. But I know I can't keep you waiting for ever and I've rewritten this chapter over six times (which seriously pissed me off) and this was the best I could get on paper... which is... still bad  
_

* * *

_**Chapter Three**_  
_**Testosterone-filled baboons**_

He's ignorant. Stupid. annoying. Childish. Stubborn. He had no idea who she was, or what she felt. Nope, no idea at all.  
If he didn't want to do this with her, then fine! She would find someone else to dance with. It didn't even have to be an agent, she could just take one of the guys here. As she thought that she looked around. She had been walking through the wards furiously, not even bothering where she was going, but now that she finally settled down she realized that she had no idea where she was. The people paid no attention to her observing gaze, as if they were used to it, and Brennan stared at the well formed men and women, searching for a potential new partner.

Did he think that she was a robot or something? That she had no emotions? That she couldn't feel hurt? Because she could, and she was. Why didn't he want to go undercover with her? Maybe he was just concerned about her.. but it wasn't like she was in _real_ danger, Booth would be there, and the chance that the 'dance master' thought them be worthy to witness and experience his sinister game was one out of… 34, which was the amount of couples that they would compete with in this dance competition. Nope, concern's not possible.

As her eyes scanned the male dancers in the wards, she made profiles of them, to find a perfect match of her image of the perfect dance partner, a partner who _miraculously_ had a lot of resemblance with a certain special agent.  
Okay, first one… too small, next. Oh! Too old! He could be her father! Next man… God, he's tall! Too tall, really. Not that the midget that he was talking to was a better solution…  
She had thought that she meant more to him, that she was more than just his partner by now. His friend. That he trusted her, confided in her and loved spending time with her. Obviously she was wrong, since he didn't even want to share a room with her pure for the matter of the investigation. Or maybe he didn't want to sleep in the same room because…

Oh Brennan, you're speculating again. You slept in the same room before, and besides, Booth doesn't feel that way about you. He isn't worried about the line… although yesterday was pretty intense… Okay Brennan, let's go back to searching you a _new_ partner, before you can't stop thinking about the one who _obviously_ doesn't want to be yours anymore…

Okay, maybe this one? He looked decent. The age and length were good. Masculine. Looked experienced… but who can trust a man who dies his hair blond!?  
Booth wouldn't trust him...  
What did it matter whether or not _Booth_ trusted him? She didn't need Booth's approval about who she would and would not dance with!

"Tempe? Is that you?"

Those words caught her off guard. Or the voice, maybe. She hadn't heard that voice for a long time, and she smiled broadly before turning around to the man who was staring at her, dumbfounded

_Temperance, say hello to your new dance partner_ she thought as she felt how his strong arms slipped around her, holding her tightly

* * *

Where _was_ that woman? He had been looking all over for her, and he hadn't seen her anywhere. How hard could it be to find a _very_ hot-headed woman, who was also the bold and beautiful and… Wait, did he just call her beautiful?  
Well, but she was. Very beautiful actually. She had everything to make a man go wild. A heated temperament , an intelligence of which even Einstein would be jealous of and a body to die for… Okay, Booth, stop thinking like this or you'll do something you'll regret. You put that line between you two for a reason, _remember_!

That's true. But that was before he'd known that they'd grow so close. That he'd become so depended on her that he couldn't even imagine a life without her. That she, together with Parker, were the most important people in his life. He couldn't let this mission get between them. The mission nor this… misinterpretation. He would tell her he was sorry, that he was wrong, though he knew that _he_ wasn't wrong about anything. But he wouldn't tell _her_ that. And hopefully, she'd forgive him, he'd make certain she would. He'd even twirl her round on the damn music if he had to.

Yes, she would forgive him. She would and he would take her to the diner, like he always did and they would bicker over small stuff and laugh, thinking back about their stupid fight. And then he would drag her to an electronics store and make her buy the biggest damn plasma TV they had, using that as an excuse to hang out at her place late at night after bringing her Thai food.

But first, he had to find her.

Yep. They would be fine. Just fine.

He stopped abruptly as his partner's laughter filled his ears. He turned to the sound, wondering what she was so happy about when she was so obviously pissed off earlier. The smile that had started to form on his lips fell instantly. She stood there, entangled in a tight embrace, laughing heartily. An embrace with a _man_!

Okay, okay… calm down Booth. No need to be jealous. He could just be some random, good-looking, Latin-American guy she knows. Someone from her past…

The man pulled back slightly to look at her face. She was beaming. Why didn't she look like that when she was with him? The man took her face in his hands, and Booth had to keep himself from throwing himself at this guy. No one touched his partner in such an intimate way. _No one_! "God, I missed you so much" the man said, his voice so tender and soft that Booth balled his fists to restrain himself.

Booth looked away for just a millisecond, but when he looked back, he felt like his jaw had fallen to the ground. He was kissing her. He was freaking _kissing_ her! On the lips! And she let it happen!  
okay, so maybe it wasn't a passionate lover's kiss with tongues and saliva involved – he shivered at the thought of his Bones and that.. that man sharing something as… he couldn't even think about it… – but it was certainly more than just an exchange between two old friends. Who the hell kissed their friends on the lips?

The kiss didn't last longer than 2 seconds, which was two seconds too long for Booth's liking, before they parted and his partner started laughing warmly again. She padded him on the arm playfully as she said "Still hasn't changed, I see"

"What, my gorgeous, well formed body or my breathtaking kisses?" The man asked teasingly

"No, the lip balm" Brennan said chuckling, wiping her hand over her smooth lips

"The ladies love it" the man said, smirking

"I bet they do" Booth said, folding his arms in front of him and gaining the attention of the pair in front of him. Brennan followed his example and folded her arms in front of her defensively. The two exchanged a glare, Booth, looking between infuriated and confused, Brennan, looking between annoyed and guilty. "So, aren't you going to introduce me?" Booth asked, his voice more hostile than he had intended

"fine" she said, turning her attention back to the man watching them intrigued "Eric, this is special agent Booth from the FBI, Booth, this is Eric Rosario" Brennan said, motioning between them with her hand

"Pleased to meet you" Eric said, sticking out his hand for Booth to shake it. Booth just tugged his thumbs in his belt with extravagant belt bucket and nodded his head, earning a glare from his partner

"Are you here to talk to Madame Soleil?" Eric asked Brennan, looking away from the hostile man in front of him

Booth opened his mouth, but Brennan beat him to the point "Yes, yes we are, or at least one of us is" she said, glancing at Booth quickly before staring back at Eric

"Okay…" Eric said, clearly confused "follow me" he said, and started walking through the wards, confident enough to think that they would follow him

They started following him and Booth placed his hand on it's usual spot on Brennan's back, but she quickly fastened her pace and ran over to the Latin-American man, who threw his arm over her shoulders when she reached him, pulling her a bit closer. _Easy Booth, don't do anything stupid…_ Booth thought, letting go of his gun in his holster. "So, you in the FBI" Eric said, stretching the last word and lowering his voice, as if the FBI was very important

Brennan laughed, not trying to break the physical contact as she had tried with Booth and shook her head, ignoring Booth completely "No, no I just… help them"

"Yeah, I'm the agent, she's the doctor… we're partners" Booth said, staring daggers at Eric "Like in her books" he added

Eric dropped his arm to his side and stopped, staring at Booth intrigued

"Damn Tempe, and I always thought that Andy's character was based on me" He said jokingly, though it only outraged Booth more than he already was

"It doesn't matter whether I say that my characters are fictional and aren't based on anyone or not, does it?" Brennan popped in, sounding annoyed, though neither men knew if it were because of the reference to her books or these men's alpha male tendencies which seemed to fill the room

"No, it doesn't, 'cause I know that Andy is based on _me_" Booth said, folding his arms in front of him, never taking his eyes off of Eric

"You sure about that? I mean, that part where Andy and Kathy get stuck in that car together seemed kinda familiar to me" Eric said smirking, imitating Booth's dominant stance

Booth balled his hands and swallowed thickly as he tried to stare Eric down. He remembered reading that part. He remembered _that_ scene perfectly, remembered how graphic and detailed that had been. Remembered how dry his mouth had been when he was reading it, remembered how his sister had joked that he was reading porn when she had found the book when she came to visit. He remembered how hard he had tried in vain not to imagine that scene between him and his partner. Remembered how he hadn't been able to look at her for two weeks without having to take an ice-cold shower.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm sure because _I'm_ the FBI-agent, because _I'm_ her partner, because _I'm_ 'that damn guy who doesn't want Kathy to have a gun but loves to show off his own' as Bones so thoughtfully mentioned in her books, because I give her nicknames and because _I-_"

"Okay, that's enough!" Brennan screamed, making both men look at her. Never before had Booth been so glad that she had cut him off. Somewhere in his ramble of why Andy was based on him he had lost control over his mouth and mind and was about to admit the one thing he hadn't even been able to admit to himself. He had wanted to say that he would do anything to keep her safe, because he loved her, loved her more than her books could even begin to describe. "You are like two possessive dogs fighting over a bone, and, though Booth loves to call me that way, I'm _still_ not a bone. in addition, I don't belong to either of you, _you_" she said, staring at Booth "you have a girlfriend, if you want to claim you own someone, she's the closest to your possession, I – on the other hand – am nothing close to yours, unless if the word 'your' is followed by partner or squint…" she took a deep breath and turned her attention towards the man with a cocky grin, which quickly faded when noticing the infuriated look on Brennan's face "And you…" she began, pointing her finger in his direction dangerously "don't even get me started about you" Brennan said, and Booth gave Eric an evil smirk which he quickly disguised when Brennan looked at him again "Anthropologically speaking you are like testosterone-filled baboons, marking their territory as their own though they are perfectly capable of understanding that those boundaries aren't legitimate and they don't own anything but only like to believe so. If another male would however come on his 'property' they would defy each other as you two clearly confirmed by showing who is the strongest, quickest or, you two's personal favourite, biggest weapon, biggest car or-"

"yeah, bones, we get the picture" Booth said flustered, knowing exactly what the next thing was she was going to sum up that measure was only relevant for the male species, though still not looking away from the other man

She heatedly mumbled something about alpha male tendencies and stalked off towards Madame Soleille's office, not even bothering whether or not the two men were following her.

Eric was the first to finally avert his gaze and walk over to where Brennan had disappeared, followed by Booth, who had a very smug grin on his lips.

Booth heard Eric say "You might have won the battle, but you haven't won the war" and Booth was about to reply when a door sway open and Bones and an elderly woman walked over to them, babbling French all the way

"Ah! this must be the infamous monsieur Booth!" the woman said and surprised Booth by giving him three kisses on the cheek as a way of greeting

"You must be Miss Soleil" he replied, charm smile in place

"Oh, please call me Madame" She said and started pulling him and Brennan towards one of the dance rooms "Come, we have a lot of work to do" the woman said. Once inside of the room she clapped her hands and music started playing. Booth and Brennan looked at each other awkwardly as they felt Madame's eyes on them "Let us begin" she said and stared at them expectantly

* * *

_Alright, so I know you might wanna kill me now for the worst update ever.. but, I'll reassure you now, there will be better ones.. pinky swear!_


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